EFFECTS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZATION ON MAIZE/GROUNDNUT MIXTURE
EFFECTS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZATION ON MAIZE/GROUNDNUT MIXTURE
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Date
1994-01
Authors
YOHANNA, MAMMA KWAGA
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Abstract
Afield trial was conducted in the 1991 wet season
on the Research Farm of the Institute for Agricultural
Research, Samaru, Zaria (11° 11'N, 7 38'E, 658m above
mean sea - level) located in the northern Guinea savanna
ecological zone of Nigeria . The objec iv e was to
determine the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on
the productivity of maize and groundnut in mixture.
Five levels of nitrogen (0, 40, 80, 120 and
160 kg N/ha) laid out in main plots and three levels of
phosphorus (0, 2 6 . 4 , 5 2 . 8 kg P/ha) in sub plots were
tested on the maize/groundnut mixture in all possible
combinations in a split- plot d design. Application of
40 kg N/ha significantly increased maize shelling
percentage, stover yield , cob diameter, LAI at 13 WAP, Plant and ear heights . Whereas application of 80 kg N/ha
remarkably increased maize grain yield , 1000-grain
weight and further increased stover yiel d and cob
diameter. Maize kernel depth , cob length and cob
number per plant increased with N level up to 80 kg N/ha.
However application of 80 kg N/ha significantly reduced
the number of days to 50% silking . Application of
26.4 k g P/h a significantly increased maize stover yield,
LAI at 13 V/AP, but resulted in shorter days to 50%
silking. Increasing P level to 52.8 kg P/ha appreciably
i n c r e a s e d maize 1000-grain weight, cob d i a m e t e r , p l a nt
and ear h e i g h t s and f u r t h e r i n c r e a s e d stover y i e l d , but
reduced days to 50% t a s s e l i n g , However maize grain yieldbelling percentage, cob number per plant;, cob length,
kernel depth, LAI at 10 WAP and percentage of lodged
plants did not respond to P application.
Application of nitrogen to maize in the
mixture indirectly depressed groundnut pod and kernel
yields, ' Haulm yield and number of mature pods per
Plant, were significantly reduced by the application of 40-120 kg N/ha. The groundnut LAI at 10 and 13
WAP were also remarkably reduced by the application
of 120 kg N/ha. However nitrogen application had
no significant effect on groundnut shelling percentage,
100-kernel weight, number of immature pods per plant,
plant height and days to 60% flowering. Application
of phosphorus did not affect groundnut except the LAI
at 10 WAP that increased.
The highest LER of 1.35 and the highest cross
returns less fertilizer cost was obtained from the
application of 160application of 80 kg/ha + 0 kg P/hn was the lowest
combined levels of N and P that gave significant
increase in LER. Highest return per Nairn invested
on fertilizer was obtained from the application
of 40 kg N/h a with ou t phosphorus, followed by
80 kg N/ha + 0 kg P/ha. Given the condition of this
study where there was appreciable soil P and
considering the financial constraints of the small
scale farmers who grow their crops mostly in mixture,
application of 80 kg N/ha without P is most promising
for the productivity of maize/groundnut mixture.
Description
A thesis submitted to the post-graduate school Ahmadu
Bello University, in partial fulfilment of the
requirement for the degree of Master of Science in
Agronomy.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY
FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA, NIGERIA
Keywords
EFFECTS,, NITROGEN,, PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZATION,, MAIZE/GROUNDNUT MIXTURE,